Wrench.



PATENTED JUNE 14, 1904.

C. U. REAMS. WRENGH.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16, 1904.

H0 MODEL.

-Wit2wsses:

TJNITED STATES v Patented June 14, 1904.

CALVIN U. BEAMS, OF SUISUN, CALIFORNIA.

WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 762,556, dated June 14, 1904. Application filed February 16, 1904. Serial No. 193,794. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, CALVIN U. BEAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Suisun, in

the county of Solano and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Wrenches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in wrenches. Its object is to provide a wrench of simple construction which may be easily and quickly engaged with a pipe or a nut which is readily adjustable to a variety of sizes of pipes or nuts which may be operated in a confined space and which may be successively actuated without being removed from pipe or nut.

It consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter more fully described, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows my improved wrench. 2 is a section on line 1/ 1 of Fig. 1.

A represents a fixed jaw portion rigid with handle 2, and B is a movable jaw pivoted to a sleeve 3, which is slidable on jaw A. The end of jaw B is curved and is adapted to project like a beak over and beyond the end of jawA. The curve of jaw B corresponds approximately to the are of the largest pipe to be engaged, and its inner surface is suitably serrated, as at 1. The end of jaw A on the corner adjacent to the serrated portion of jaw B is formed with a reentrant portion, as 5, including an arc of approximately ninety degrees. The lower wall of this angle is preferablyinclined downwardly a trifle from the longitudinal center line of the jaw in order to bring the engaging points 6 7 on each side of the angle in proper relation to the engaging surface 4: of jaw B and enable the two members to cooperate to best advantage. Thus with a pipe the jaw A will engage one side of a pipe at two points considerably separated from each other, while jaw B will embrace the pipe and hug it to jaw A. A rectangular nut would seat in the angle of jaw A and be engaged and sup ported on two adjacent sides, and jaw B would engage the opposite corner of the nut. A pipe is intended to be engaged by the biting edges 6 7 of jaw A or the serrated continua- Fig.

. spring and protects itfrom' rough usage.

The wrench may engage the nut intermediate of its angles or corners, as where the wrench is to be oscillated in a narrow space, the operation being, essentially, like that of a ratchetwrench. The are of movement of jaw B about its pivot allows for the accommodation of a variety of sizes of pipes and nuts without changing the position of the sleeve. In order, however,to increase the range of the jaws, the sleeve may be adjusted by means of the thumbnut 9, which is held in the stationary keepers 10, and the screw 11, which is fast to sleeve 3. By turning the nut the sleeve is moved out or in upon the jawA to increase or diminish the space between the engaging surfaces of the jaws. A spring 12, having one end secured to jaw B and the other engaging jaw A behind pivot 12, tends to press the jaws normally together. The sleeve 3 forms ahousing for the In order to prevent the jaw B being opened so wide as to break the spring, I provide jaw B with a shoulder portion 18, which is adapted to engage a stop 14 on the sleeve to limit the backward movement of jaw B about its pivot. The pivot of jaw B'is preferably located at a point far enough rearward of the front edges of the sleeve so that the jaw will be guided in the sleeve against lateral movement. I have shown the sleeve as provided with lateral integral projections 15, between which the jawB is movable. These projecting guides 15 are of suflicient strength and length that the jaw is supported at some distance forward of its pivot and still will not interfere with the proper operation of the jaw. The consequence is that the wrench has little or no tendency to become loose-jointed.

The jaws A and B are arranged to lie inth'e same plane, being substantially of the same thickness. Sufiicient strength is had by increasing the width of the jaws. Thus 1 produce a narrow powerful wrench that is particularly adaptable for use in narrow openings, where an ordinary wrench could not even be inserted.

If desired, the fixed jaw may be graduated,

' a pipe of a particular size.

as shown at 16, to indicate the point at which the front edge of' sleeve 3 should stand to take This enables the workman to adjust the wrench accurately before putting the wrench into a hole or other confined space where it might be impossible for him to get his hand to adjust the wrench after engaging the pipe.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. A wrench comprising a movable jaw having a curved outer end, a shank terminating at one end in a fixed jaw the end of which on the corner adjacent to the inner curvature of the movable jaw is formed with a reentrant portion including an arc of approximately ninety degrees whereby separated engaging bitingpoints are formed, and the intervening space is adapted to receive a substantial portion of two sides of a nut, a sleeve adjustable on the shank and carrying the movable jaw, said sleeve having spaced projections from one end between which the jaw is mounted, a spring located between the jaws, having one end secured to the movable jaw and the other end housed within the sleeve, and means for adjusting the sleeve.

2. A wrench including a stationary jaw, a sleeve slidable on the jaw and having a movable jaw cooperating with the first-named jaw said sleeve having spaced projections from one end between which the movable jaw is pivotally mounted, and a spring having one end secured to the inner side of the movable jaw and the other end introduced between the sleeve and the fixed jaw whereby the sleeve serves as a housing and protection therefor.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CALVIN U. BEAMS. Witnesses:

W. U. HoLznAUEn, J. H. HARVEY. 

